Month: June 2013

For the first time in twenty years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is considering changes to a portion of federal regulations governing research known as the “Common Rule” (45 CFR 46, 2009; Subpart A). At present, the proposed changes are not sufficiently sensitive to the potential impact on research involving infants, children and adolescents.

On Thursday, June 13th, the Irish government published its Abortion Bill to regulate the extremely limited circumstances under which an abortion is lawful in Ireland. The Bill’s conscientious objection provision reflects the limited development of ethical thought, debate and education in Ireland.

Psychologists and psychiatrists have devoted increased attention to their own self-care in response to high levels of stress in treating individuals with serious mental health conditions. Little attention, however, has been paid to those conducting research with these populations and the unique moral dilemmas encountered by researchers on the front lines. This is especially true for the graduate students, research assistants, and other research staff who are out in the field or in hospitals providing research-related clinical assessments and interventions, as well as other more traditional research tasks, such as participant recruitment and enrollment, with individuals with high levels of anxiety, depression, and trauma.

As Cindy Chang pointed out during our Jailing for Dollars conference, and wrote in The Times-Picayune: “The state imprisons more of its people, per head, than any of its U.S. counterparts. First among Americans means first in the world. Louisiana’s incarceration rate is nearly five times Iran’s, 13 times China’s and 20 times Germany’s.”

Is everyone out to steal my umbrella?
Is it ethical to take someone’s umbrella from the umbrella basket at the front of a restaurant if your similar-looking umbrella was taken by someone else? Also, is it ethical to wear non-prescription eyeglasses to appear more intelligent?

Behind Cry for Help from China Labor Camp
An Oregon woman buys Halloween decorations, and finds a letter from a Chinese labor camp prisoner inside. Who actually wrote the letter and what could and should be done?

Join Wall Street. Save the World.
Can a person do more good by taking a high-paying job and then donating a large portion of it to charity than they could from working in academia or for a non-profit organization?